Practice Makes Perfect
by Old Romantic
Summary: Orig. written Nov. 2007. Fic Challenge - Chuck and Sarah's first kiss. Written post-1x06.


**Spoilers:** None, really, but written after 1x06 – Chuck vs. the Sandworm  
**Genre/Ship:** Romance (Chuck/Sarah)  
**Beta:** **yumytaffy**- Thanks, hon! *hugs*  
**Disclaimer:** The characters in the following story are not mine, but if they were…well, there'd be lots of kissing like this. :D

**Summary:** In response to the fic challenge posted at the LiveJournal community, **dont_freakout**. Chuck and Sarah's first kiss.  
**Challenge Rules:** Chuck/Sarah's First Kiss – cannot take place in the Buy-More, Weinerlicious, or at Chuck or Sarah's house; no spy/work related stuff; no angst; no life/death scenarios & no SERIOUS injuries. (ie: severing a limb, massive blow to the head, etc.); the fic can be any length and any rating; Bonus Points for incorporating any of these things into your fic: The Chronicles of Narnia, cotton candy, or a telephone booth.

**A/N:** I've discovered that I wasn't the only person to think and write about this location for the First Kiss, but I seriously wrote this within a few days of the Challenge and hadn't read anyone else's fics on the subject yet. Just a coincidence! Hope nobody minds. :)

* * *

Sarah drove at a rate of speed that was usually reserved for when she was being chased, but there was no one behind her now, and yet she still gripped the wheel and urged the car to move faster. The roads were practically deserted, which seemed strange even for a weeknight. But she didn't dwell on a reason now… She could still hear the panic in Chuck's voice when he'd phoned her just minutes earlier.

_"Sarah, you need to come over."_ she'd immediately asked.

"What's wrong?"

_"Just come, quick,"_ he'd repeated and then hung up the phone without a goodbye.

Whatever it was, Sarah knew it was serious and possibly life-threatening, and that made her protective need to keep him safe come to the surface.

She parked her car in front of the curb by Chuck's apartment and without even bothering to lock it, ran in to the courtyard and banged on his front door. He answered right away and stood there in his white, untucked shirt and loosened tie from a long day at work and she tried desperately to read his face in that moment before he spoke. "Hi," he said uncharacteristically, considering she was expecting fear and panic from him.

"What's the matter?" she asked in a rush. "Did something happen to Ellie? Or Casey?" she spoke quieter, even though she didn't see anyone in the living room behind Chuck who might overhear her unusual concern. "Is his cover compromised?"

He stepped out and closed the door behind him, shaking his head. "No, but ours could be…if we don't do something about this."

"What do you talking about?"

Taking her by the elbow, Chuck led her to the fountain, speaking in a softer tone. "Ellie and the Captain were talking to me earlier when she wondered…why they don't ever see us kiss."

The apprehension that had gripped Sarah's heart slid down and right out of her body and was replaced with an unexpected blush on her face. "Oh," she wrapped her lips around the word with a breath of relief and then smirked. "This was the big emergency? You had me so worried—"

"Well, I thought it was important that you know right away, since it _could_ compromise your cover if we don't seem…normal," he gave as an excuse.

"You're right," she agreed. "And I _am_ glad you called." She continued to calm down her breathing. She could understand why he wouldn't tell her this over the phone, especially since she'd told him that phone conversations could be overheard, but she did wonder, "Why did you hang up on me?"

"Oh," he realized. "Ellie came in the room. Sorry about that."

She sighed, realizing that it was all just misunderstanding. "You just can't imagine what I thought…" Deciding not to dwell on the unnecessary feelings of worry, she changed the subject and took a deliberate step closer, tilting her head back so that her face was close to his. "So…I guess we need to practice, then, to get you over this whole fear of PDA."

He stared down at her, keeping his distance as much as possible, and swallowed hard. "That would be a good plan. I mean, since it's expected. And it would be weird if no one ever saw us…" She saw his Adam's apple bob again. "Good thing that practice does make perfect," he finished mumbling nonsensically and she fought a smile.

"Well," she began his lesson, "kiss me." She'd spoken the command tenderly, but still Chuck hesitated.

Glancing around the apartment complex, he balked, "Now? Here?"

"Something wrong with here? There isn't anyone around."

"Yeah, but there are a lot of…windows." He shuddered and she got the point.

"Okay, well…" she backed up a foot. "Do you…" she almost feared what she was about to suggest, but it was more because of the way her heart fluttered with the thought and what it could mean than actual dread, "…want to go into your room?"

"What, and walk past my sister and her boyfriend just to practice kissing? That would seem…weird." He shook his head. "Can't we…go somewhere where people don't know us?"

"Sure. Like where?"

"I don't know… I guess it would be best to go someplace with people – not a lot, though, 'cause I'm not sure if I'm ready for that."

Sarah genuinely smiled. "Well, to make this work and keep our covers, you're going to have to get over that."

"I know, but it's just the thought." He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder, saying, "I'm gonna go change."

"Okay," she said, but wondered if he meant for her to stay there to wait. But because Ellie believed that they'd been a couple for two months and possibly thought they'd been sleeping together, Sarah knew that waiting outside while her boyfriend changed clothes was definitely unusual. So she followed him inside, hearing Chuck announce that they were going out.

Chuck did notice her come in and assumed she'd stay in the living room with the other couple, so he was definitely surprised when the door opened to his room and Sarah stepped in. He'd already removed his shirt, but clutched it to his chest when he saw her. "What are you doing in here?" he whispered, just a touch too harshly, but it was merely because he was caught off-guard.

She kept her voice low, "I chatted with them for a moment, but Ellie started to give me a funny look. I had to pretend I was comfortable with coming in here."

His tension eased a bit but he kept the shirt held close. "Oh. I, uh…" He changed gears. "Well, maybe you can help me decide what to wear."

"That depends on where we're going," she replied as she moved closer to his closet…and him. They stood side-by-side as she began to shuffle through the shirts he had hanging there. "And you can't look any better than me," she warned in a tease, and was warmed when he gave her body a once-over.

"That's impossible," he muttered unthinkingly and then blushed when their eyes met. He cleared his throat and faced his closet again. "So, jeans and a nice shirt…"

Sarah picked out a shirt and handed it to him, and when he took it, he let the work shirt he'd been covering his chest with fall to his side. She got a good look at his pecs and suddenly felt uncomfortable, but in such a good way. She had to force her eyes to lift and focus on his face and smile, all the while keeping the image of his body in her mind. She never knew what he kept hidden under those Nerd Herd uniforms, nor could she have guessed that someone typically coined as a "computer nerd" would be so... Well, the body was certainly a plus.

With a self-conscious, open-mouthed smile, Sarah fell back a step and pointed to the other side of the room. "Uh, you change. I'll be over here."

She walked to his new computer and looked around his cluttered desk, reading the encouraging Post-It notes he left for himself, smiling as she heard the sounds of his moving around, most probably changing his pants. Forcing her mind to stay focused on what was in front of her and not letting her mind wander to what was going on behind her, Sarah picked up a picture she'd never seen before and studied it. "Is this you and Ellie?" she asked, holding it over her shoulder so he could see what she was talking about.

"Uh…" he paused, "Yeah. The only year we went to summer camp together. The same year our mom left."

Her lips formed an "o" but she didn't say the word out loud, and just stared at the photo. Two skinny, young kids in bathing suits, wet hair, arms slung around each other's shoulders, kids splashing in lake water behind them, and smiles as wide as Texas. They must've been devastated when their mother left so unexpectedly just a few months later. She was suddenly glad that Chuck had had Ellie's love and support as an older sister through what she was sure were difficult years that had followed.

"I'm ready," he said and she noted that he was now standing right over her shoulder, so close that she could feel his breath on her exposed neck. Thank God she'd had the mind to throw her hair up in a ponytail before she ran out of her apartment.

"Okay," she spoke with a forced calmness to keep her mind from wandering again, and she put the picture back where she'd found it.

He let her lead the way to the door, not seeming to notice that she didn't once look at his outfit or him – afraid that the image of his body was obviously written all over her face – except to look at his expression as she smiled back at him…and slipped her fingers through his. Chuck swallowed again and followed her lead, down the hall, waving and smiling and saying their goodbyes to Ellie and the Captain and walking outside.

Chuck was sure that she'd drop his hand once out of view of his sister, but Sarah kept his fingers firmly intertwined with his all the way to her car. There she dangled the keys in front of him. "Wanna drive?"

"What, your car? This beautiful piece of machinery? Me?" he pointed at his chest. "No," he chuckled nervously, and then when he saw that she was serious, he took the keys before she changed her mind. "Okay."

Sarah could only laugh. But her smile turned to complete enjoyment and satisfaction when he opened the passenger-side door for her. She'd assumed that he'd be too excited about driving the car to be a gentleman. But he was constantly surprising her. She slid inside the seat she never got to ride in and watched him practically skip around the front to the driver's side. "This is going to be very different from the Nerd Herder," he commented as he slipped the key into the ignition.

The car purred to life, and he uttered a pleased, man-sigh, and Sarah silently giggled again. Then he turned to her. "So, where are we going?"

She shrugged. "A public place," she threw out there for ideas.

"Not a restaurant," he added. "Or generally anyplace where we're inside four walls," he cringed.

"So an open area," she deduced. "Santa Monica Pier?"

He thought about that a moment. "That could work. Lots of places to hide if I need to."

Grinning, she pointed out, "Except that's what you're going to work through and get over, remember?"

"I know, I know, just…bear with me." He put the car into drive and started to maneuver it away from the curb and into traffic. "I've never understood how couples could…do some of the things they do in public places."

"Most of the time, they're in love, and they only see each other."

"Until they break up the next week," he amended pointedly.

"True, there are many that like to make-out no matter who they're with or where they are, but that should help you, I'd think. I mean, we're not…a real… I mean, not a couple in the traditional way…"

Chuck nodded and kept his eyes on the road, but Sarah sensed…something in his demeanor that she'd seen before when they were on the subject. Was that regret or longing? Again she told herself that she could've imagined it. She _must_ have.

They arrived at the Pier and parked in the crowded lot, making their way up to the boardwalk where all of the shops – and _people!_ – were. Chuck felt anxiety building up in throat as they walked – hand-in-hand per Sarah's prodding, in order to help him acclimate to those public displays of affection that he was so afraid of.

"I don't know if I can do this," he mumbled fretfully. "Why are there so many people here? Don't they have work tomorrow?"

"Come on," Sarah bumped his shoulder with her own, smiling. "It's still early yet." The sun was shining, but it was close to twilight. "It'll thin out in a little while."

"Okay, but we're going to have to wait to…try anything more than this," he squeezed her hand and stopped walking so that they faced each other. "Can you tell I'm shaking?"

She could, but she wouldn't give him reason to feel more anxious than he already did. "You'll be fine. I'll help you through this." They started to walk again and she added lightly and quietly, "You've diffused two bombs, rescued people, including me, and brought more criminals to justice than I did in my first two years as a spy. This is minor. This is just…kissing." She stepped in front of him and smiled demurely up at him. "Don't you _want_ to kiss me?"

"Yes." That was Chuck talking to Sarah, the woman – not Sarah, the undercover agent just pretending to be his girlfriend.

She inched closer, knowing she was teetering on a very fine line, because since seeing him shirtless just a little while earlier, she wanted to kiss him as well. And _not_ just for the cover. "Then kiss me," she whispered, lifting up on her toes to get as close as she could to his lips.

He did close the gap just enough to lightly touch his lips to hers, but fear kept him from making it any more of a connection than that. It only lasted a moment before he took a step back.

"Uh…Chuck?"

"I know, I know, I shouldn't do this to you because it makes you look bad. I mean, why would a guy like me deny a girl like you a kiss in front of all these people?" he babbled, chuckling with his last words. "I just need, um…" he floundered for a safe, quiet, secluded, hiding place and looked all around him for a solution. "Ah!" he practically squealed, pulling Sarah by the hand into an old-fashioned, bright red, single-person, telephone booth that he was sure didn't work. He crammed them both inside and closed the door behind her.

Despite the close quarters and the fact that their chests were pressed snugly against each other in a way that Sarah hadn't yet fantasized (okay, maybe she had), she let out a laugh. "This is better?" she asked incredulously. "Don't you feel like a goldfish in here? Everybody can see us, and believe me, they're looking."

"Yeah, maybe this wasn't the best of ideas." Then he thought about that a moment, realizing all of a sudden that he couldn't hear the outside noises, and when he looked at her, the life bustling just beyond the glass walls seemed to fade away. "Then again," he whispered somewhat huskily, letting his soul live in the moment, "it feels like we're the only two people in the world right now."

Sarah's heart was starting to pound, staring up into Chuck's eyes and noticing the way they were smoldering like she'd never seen in him before. "Yeah, it does," she muttered in reply, hoping – and not hoping at the same time – that he would surrender those full lips to hers. She longed to taste him in a way that she hadn't felt for a man in a long time. Bryce had been the last…

As if magnetically drawn to each other, Chuck slipped his palm along Sarah's jaw to her neck, keeping his thumb on her face to hold her steady as he lowered his face to hers. The movement was so controlled and so steady and so agonizingly slow for Sarah that she could hardly stand it. He was just millimeters from her lips to where she could feel his breath and smell the soda he must've drank just before her arrival at his house and she ached to savor it and him on her lips and maybe her tongue, and feel his body pressed tightly against hers…

A loud knock made them both jump and bump foreheads and she heard a loud but muffled voice behind her, "You can't be in there. It's just for looks, not for making out with your girlfriend, jackass."

Sarah fought the urge to open the door and knock the teeth from the very annoying man's mouth and watched as Chuck apologetically nodded. "Sorry, sorry," he yelled to be heard through the glass as he pulled Sarah more firmly against him to be able to open the door. They stepped out and she glimpsed at the intruder. It was no wonder he'd interrupted their moment – that could have been _sooo_ wonderful, she mentally added – what with his receding hairline and odd-looking, spacious teeth. _He's probably jealous_, she thought but kept the condescension to herself even as Chuck kept apologizing. "We didn't know – it was open," he used as an excuse.

Giving the couple a disbelieving look, he shook his head and walked away muttering, "Knew I shoulda' put a lock on that damn thing…"

Chuck put his hands on his hips and looked at Sarah and they suddenly let go of the pressure and starting laughing simultaneously. It felt good to loosen up after the tense moment – albeit one that she'd sincerely hoped would last just a few minutes – hours, _days_ – longer.

When their laughter died down, Chuck lifted his palms in surrender. "Well…that didn't work."

"Yeah, maybe we should try something else."

"Okay, but if we're going to be out here again…I'm gonna need…more time."

"Alright," she conceded, stepping beside him and taking his hand again. She looked out toward the end of the pier at the deep end of the ocean and suggested, "It doesn't look quite as crowded out there. Maybe we can start at that end and work our way down this way."

"Sounds good to me," he gave in, and they walked for a while, just enjoying the silence and each other.

After just a few minutes, Sarah debated saying something, _anything_ to break the quiet between them, especially after the intimate moment they'd just shared, but didn't know how to start. "Would it help you if we talked?" she finally blurted out, else she burst. "You know, as if we were on a real date, getting to know each other?"

"Getting to know 'Sarah Walker,' or…the real you?" he questioned pointedly, silencing her momentarily, for which he berated himself. "Yeah, it would help," he answered then, trying to ease her discomfort. "But I'd like to know _you_, if that's okay. Nothing you say has to be specific, like…what's your favorite color?"

"Brown," she replied easily, lifting a palm to the sky, grateful that he was asking unimportant questions and making her feel much better at the same time.

"_Brown_?" he parroted, clearly shocked. "The most boring color in the rainbow?"

She chuckled with him and shrugged a shoulder. "It's the color I like the most, to look at, to wear…" …_To see in your eyes_…she mentally added, not bothering to add that until she met him, her favorite color was green.

"Oookay…" he drew out on a long breath, completely unaware of the truth hiding just below the surface.

"What's yours?"

"Typical boy color: blue."

"What shade? Light, navy…?"

"Bold, crayon blue. Like your eyes," he divulged unthinkingly and then cast his head down bashfully when he saw her look at him thanks to his peripheral vision.

So, they were the same in that respect, Sarah thought and it warmed her heart. She bit her lip, wishing she could come up with another mundane question to continue the conversation and ease the nervous strain.

But Chuck was faster at that. "Oh, hey, what was your favorite book when you were a kid?"

"Oh," she stuttered in shock, thinking back to her childhood. "Uh… The series… _The Chronicles of Narnia_."

"Ah, yes, the heroic lion, Aslan, and the eternal battle of good and evil."

"You read that series?"

He scoffed, "Of course. Talking animals in battle gear? I was so there – I read it a dozen times."

"And saw the first of the movies, I'm assuming," she quirked a smile up at him beside her.

He held up his free hand, "Yes, I did, and let's just leave it at that. I don't want to go into the _number_ of times I saw it in the theater because that would be embarrassing…"

She was still laughing when something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye and she tugged his hand to move to the edge of the pier. She smiled and pointed, "Look, a dolphin." Just then, they saw the gray body surface and dive, followed by another.

"Two of them," Chuck noted, smiling as they leaned side-by-side on the railing, with him only slightly behind her to her left. "That's neat – I don't think I've ever seen them here."

"I've always loved dolphins. So peaceful and graceful. I saw one once in the wild," she revealed, almost regretting it the second it was out. She'd been on a mission at the time and probably shouldn't mention it.

But Chuck curiosity was piqued. "How?"

Sighing only at herself for blurting without thinking, Sarah concocted, "I was…scuba diving and one came up and watched me for, like, a half an hour…as if he was fascinated with me."

"I could imagine that," he said and she thought for sure that it was his turn to regret his wording, but his voice turned softer and it was laced with truth and total honesty. "I'm fascinated with you, too."

She turned toward him, her back to the ocean and the beach below, scooting close to his left hand on the railing, so that it wouldn't take much for him to put his arms around her. "Chuck…" she breathlessly let out. "I know we have to…do certain things for the cover and I will, but, if my superiors knew…" She stopped from saying whatever it was she was about to admit and started over, forcing her gaze to meet his. "I _shouldn't_ kiss you."

His face expressed mild confusion. "Why?"

Sarah took his right hand and guided it around her waist, putting her body within the circle of his long, strong arms. Then she prepared to lean up on her toes to kiss him before she lost her nerve. "Because I really _want_ to." Then she pressed her lips against his, holding his face with both hands to keep him from getting away like he had twice before during just this evening's events.

Putting all of her confined feelings into the kiss she'd longed for, the fervor was unhindered and _such_ a relief. Soon satisfied with their initial contact, she released him for a brief moment and softened for her next kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck, pleased when she felt his arms on her waist and one palm outstretched on her back. He too was enjoying it as much as she was.

Chuck was feeling a bit lost in himself and in Sarah, having not been kissed like this since Jill – and even that hadn't lasted as long as he'd thought it would. Not like this, even with Sarah's fake persona and the whole need for a cover story in place. This felt _real_, in a way he'd never experienced, which was ironic, considering this was supposed to be the very opposite from its conception to the bitter end. He wanted this kiss to last _forever_…the crowd and people be damned; if there was anyone, or a thousand people watching, he didn't care. And that was definitely a new feeling, brought out by this Sarah Walker.

They parted, but only an inch or so as they clung to one another – Sarah's arms still around his neck, and Chuck's around her waist. They swayed to inaudible music except for the song in their mutual hearts, keeping their foreheads pressed firmly together. Then Chuck took the lead and kissed her again. And Sarah let him.

After fully acquainting their lips and realizing then that there wasn't an audience to practice in front of, Sarah bit her bottom lip and mumbled, her thoughts still heady as she stared at his swollen mouth, "That was, um… We should move down closer to where the people are."

"Yeah…that would…be good," he murmured in agreement. "Was that…okay?"

"Yeah, totally," she spit out immaturely, then thought to ask, "A-are you…okay? Were you nervous, 'cause it didn't _feel_ like…" Hearing the word "feel" coming from her own mouth and remembering what it felt like to her made her sentence trail off, even as Chuck nodded to answer her question.

"Yeah, it was… I was fine," he stuttered. "Let's um…" he fought for conscious thought, "…walk."

Automatically lacing her fingers through his, Sarah let Chuck guide her back into the middle of the boardwalk, feeling for the first time as his real and true…girlfriend. The thought sent butterflies through her stomach and loud, flashing, warning alarms to her brain. She was supposed to be more professional than this! But this was for work and just for the safety of their cover…wasn't it? She was too light-headed to think clearly anymore.

They were silent, and the only sounds they made were coming from the _swish-clomp_ of their lazy steps. They were almost back to the beginning of the pier where they could walk straight down to her car when they both slowed, kind of hesitant about what to do next. "Oh, look, cotton candy," Chuck noted, gesturing to a nearby vendor. "I love that stuff."

She couldn't help but smile. "Man, I haven't had that since I was about ten."

"That settles it then," he stated matter-of-factly, reaching back to pull out his wallet from his jeans' pocket and leading her to the stand.

"You don't have to get this for me – it's pure sugar, and fattening, I might add," she pleaded, but he ignored her as he paid for the pink fluff.

"Come on," he said as he tucked his wallet back in its place and then pulled of a piece about the size of a golf ball. "It can't hurt to live a little." Then he offered it to her by placing it in front of her mouth.

Sarah smirked but opened her mouth to accept the bite. But neither one of them were obviously prepared for the sensations they felt when her lips brushed his fingers as he pulled them away. Their gazes were locked and there were practically visible sparks jumping between them.

He let out a breath, trying not to make it too noticeable to her and failing, focusing instead on the spun sugar in his hand. "Uh, want more?" he offered this time by putting the bundle closer to her. She tore off another piece as they continued to walk and eat, meandering their way to a nearby bench to sit as he took some and tried desperately not to recall how her lips had felt on the same fingers when he licked off the sugar. But that didn't work either and a surge of something desirable settled in the pit of his stomach. And he knew it wasn't the cotton candy.

Chuck sat to Sarah's left, overlooking the beach below and the last of the sunbathers that were beginning to pack up in the dusk light. They ate and watched in silence with the sun slowly dipping down below the horizon to their right, and they noticed when the pier lights turned on automatically with the disappearing sunlight.

They finished the last of the candy, right down to the paper cone, and Chuck crumbled it and tossed it in the garbage can nearby, landing a perfect basketball "swoosh" shot. He grinned with Sarah even as she continued to try to clean off the area around her mouth.

"I feel really sticky. Do I have any still on my face?"

Leaning with his arm on the back of the bench, he did notice a touch of some on the right side of her lips and he nodded and tried to point, but she somehow missed it…when he suddenly had the uncontrollable desire to…

He was kissing her before he could stop himself; this time, it came so easily, as if it were a natural event. It didn't even occur to him to consider the people around him – all he could think about was Sarah's irresistible lips. And he loved the taste of the sweet, flavored sugar he found there and the warmth of her breath on his cheek, and when he allowed himself a peek, he loved the way her eyelashes rested on her face.

But when he pulled away, he was apologetic. "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that. It was probably really wrong—"

"No. _No_," she assured him. "That was…nice," she smiled warmly. "And look how many people are around."

He did, and saw that there were many, but also noticed they weren't paying the least bit of attention to the young couple on that bench. "Wow. This wasn't as hard as I thought it would be."

"I think you're cured," she grinned at him, blinking those eyes at him that he could stare at all day.

Getting up, Chuck held his hand out to help her up as well. "I guess…we can go, then," he stated reluctantly.

But as they walked, Sarah was coming up with excuses to stay in her mind, and lame ones at that. They hadn't really been in a large crowd for that last kiss, but tucked off to the side, sitting down on a bench. The real test would be standing up in the middle of the pier…like where they were now, pushing their way through a sudden crowd that had formed.

Without thinking level-headedly, she tugged at his hand and pulled him back to her, saying, "Just one more test, Chuck…" She pressed her body and lips against his, wrapping her hands around his neck and into his long, unruly hair, throwing her whole soul into this one, final kiss. The crowd just pushed their way around them, not that either of them noticed. And it wasn't an innocent kiss either – Sarah only backed off a little when she heard some mother telling her kid not to look and she knew they probably appeared to be quite the spectacle. But Chuck was too involved to notice, and for that she was glad.

When they parted, Chuck mumbled her name; his lips still pursed and his eyes closed. "You… Don't stop…"

"We have to, Chuck," she whispered, bringing her mouth close to his ear, while still hugging him. "We're in a crowd, and we can't go much further without…" The words stuck in her throat, both nervous and eager to be able to admit. She wanted it to continue as much as he did. But she knew that if she did, she'd fail her mission, and then she'd be taken off the case and would never see him again. "We should go…home."

Chuck's eyes opened and stared at her hopefully when she realized what she'd said. She knew he was misinterpreting what she meant, considering she was on a whole different line of thinking. "I mean, uh…" she stumbled for words. "We've…accomplished what we came here to do, and," she fought to remain professional, "now that we have, it'll be easier being around your sister and friends."

"Right," he muttered, slowly coming back to his senses, despite the fact that she was still so close to his face. "Right," he repeated as she moved away and he felt a sudden loss. She kept his hand in hers and her flirtatious expression in place, playing her part, as she led them through the crowd and down the stairs to the parking lot. Once they reached her car, he dug for the keys in his pocket and handed them to her. "You should probably drive."

He didn't give a reason as he just opened the driver's side door for her and closed it once she was in the seat, but she was sure it had something to do with feeling lightheaded or maybe uncomfortable, but she hoped for the former.

"So…" he finally spoke after several minutes of driving in silence and just listening to the low volume of the radio station playing a mixed selection of soft rock songs, both old and new. "Uh…now that we… Whenever I see you, can I, um… Should I…?"

"Kiss me?"

He swallowed, thinking about how often he saw her during a day or week's time and what that would mean. Oh, _yeah_, that's what he was hoping for. "Yeah," he said simply and Sarah nodded.

"Yeah… Whenever anybody could see us, that is. When we're just with Casey—"

"I wouldn't go there," he waved a hand in the air, the caution evident in his tone.

"…Or when we know we're alone… We-we probably shouldn't…"

"Yeah, we…wouldn't want to confuse things," he thought out loud.

"Right."

A good song came on after a full minute of silence between them, and Sarah turned it up just a notch. They just listened to the music, one song after another, for miles going toward his apartment.

But she didn't miss the melancholy mood that seemed to inhabit the car and she didn't want to end such a perfect evening like that. After turning a corner, Sarah let her hand fall to the middle console and her finger brush against the back of his. Chuck noticed and glanced up at her for a moment, watching her smile demurely. Playing along, he moved his finger with hers, caressing and stroking, until they were locked in a funny pinky-swear, but with their index fingers. Then he made a grander move to the other side of her hand, and began to tickle her palm, hearing her breath catch in her throat.

With another brief gaze at her, he could tell that the action was intoxicating, even as she fought to keep her focus on the road. He began to lightly caress the spaces between her fingers with his and leaned his head back against the headrest, suddenly wondering, "How long do you have to…work?"

She was confused by his question, and stated, "I'm off at Weinerlicious until tomorrow afternoon."

"No, I know. That's not what I meant. I mean…your job…is it like the military, where, after you serve a certain amount of time, you're…off the hook?"

"Oh," she mumbled when she realized what he meant, that he was speaking about her _other_ job. Her thoughts were still a little unclear because of the way he was continuing to stroke her hand with hers. She cleared her throat. "No, it's, um… I could leave…whenever. But I just… It always seems like there's something too important to hand over to someone else. Like…taking care of you and making sure you're safe."

Chuck's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "You mean, you could decide to give all this up and go back to the life you want, and somebody else would take your place, but you just don't, out of loyalty to—" he wanted to speak of himself, but chickened out, "—your job?"

"Yeah… Exactly…" she replied weakly.

"So, I guess I'm important to you too, then."

She couldn't take the tickling anymore and went ahead and meshed their fingers together. "Yeah." And just in case Casey was listening, she rushed to add, "And to our country."

There was a long pause when Chuck realized what she was giving up for him, knowing she could have a much better assignment somewhere else, and yet she chose to keep this one. "Sarah?"

"Hmm?" she glanced his way in response, just momentarily before turning her eyes back to the road ahead.

"Thank you…for what you do." He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, and she squeezed his hand in reassurance that it was definitely what she _wanted_ as well.

Pulling up to the curb and parking, Sarah got out of the car with him out of habit and walked slowly beside him through the courtyard, nervously fidgeting with her keys. She stopped in front of the fountain, halting Chuck as well, and said, "We should probably just say goodnight here."

"Yeah."

"I had fun tonight."

"So did I." What with the enjoyment of her company, and especially the kissing and the unashamed, open PDA for the very first time… It had been the best date of his life.

"Well, goodnight, Chuck."

"Sarah?" he spoke before she got away. He closed the new gap between them and made the words form on his tongue. "Ellie could be watching."

Her heart skipped a beat. "That's true." She tried to think fast of any consequences. "But so could Casey."

"But it's for the cover – he can't argue that."

"You're right," she agreed, glancing over his shoulder at the window. "And I think I just saw her through the blinds, so you'd better kiss me." She was lying – she hadn't seen a thing, but just wanted to kiss him again so badly before she left for the night. And the small fib didn't stop her hand from stealing up his arm, across his shoulder to his neck, and her body from moving closer until she was kissing him fully, the way a girlfriend would.

The door to Chuck's apartment opened and Ellie poked her head out, just as Chuck and Sarah parted. "Oh, sorry to interrupt you guys," she smiled. "We've just been watching the news about the horrible accident on the I-5 and I was worried about you."

"Nope, it wasn't us, sis," Chuck stated lightly. "We were just, uh," he momentarily lost his train of thought as his gaze locked with Sarah's, "…saying goodnight."

"Oh, do you have to go, Sarah? We were just getting ready to watch a movie and we'd love you guys to join us."

Dare he hope? Chuck went back and forth between looking at his sister and pleading with Sarah with his eyes for her to stay. Of course, that would mean, faking so much more than kissing and might mean… He wouldn't allow himself to hope or daydream until he heard her answer.

"Uh…yeah, I can stay," Sarah smiled at the other woman, and the sound-bite of a crowd cheering erupted in Chuck's brain. She began to walk toward the open door to the welcoming home full of life and familial love, and stopped when she realized her pseudo-boyfriend wasn't following. She smiled back at him and with a twinkle in her eye as if she too were thinking of the new tests they'd have to explore with her acceptance of something as simple as a invitation to a rented movie, and said lightly, "Aren't you coming, Chuck?"

His slow grin formed, anticipating the great evening ahead, and he wanted to kiss his sister for offering what she had. But no, he'd save his lips for Sarah and those much-expected make-out sessions during the movie in the dark living room. After all, Ellie would become suspicious if they _didn't_ behave the way that other couples did so early in their blossoming relationship, and he had a great excuse right in front of him that might not come around again for a long while.

Oh, yeah, he was coming. "Of course," he drawled out casually, stepping close to his girlfriend and taking her outstretched hand. There was no other place on Earth – or the _universe_ – that he'd rather be right now. Not tonight on this perfect night. And if he could somehow manage it, not ever again.

_~End_

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A/N 2: In case you don't know (and who wouldn't at this point in our lives, right? :P ), "PDA" stands for "public displays of affection." I just didn't want that to be unclear.

Also, I've been to the Santa Monica Pier a couple of times, but it has been two years ago since I was there last. Most of C/S's interaction there was from memory, but the telephone booth and cotton candy stand was totally from my imagination, just to fit the challenge bonus points. :D

Hope you liked it! Remember that comments are great and quotes warm this writer's heart! :D


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